Category: Roosevelt Avenue

I hate the plastic bag fines that Oak Park, Il has in the village. I went to the local Jewel on Roosevelt avenue without any recyclable bags and had to pay the stupid fine for plastic bags to carry my own groceries out. Now it does sound kind of harsh to say “fines” but it is what it is. It is just another way for Oak Park, IL to take in extra cash and tax its residents for something else. If its not overtaxing them on parking permits, then its other services and property taxes that will empty the pockets of the average Oak Park, IL resident.

This tax not only impacts the residents but the renters and tourists that flow in and out of the village. This extra tax although it harkens to the environmental side of one’s being it is still not helpful in reducing the usage of plastic bags in the village. All I have to do in order to bypass this stupid tax is use some common sense and I have all the plastic bags I want or even stuck my nose up to the village government. Also, it is a way to get all the plastic bags I need for my small garbage cans either in my bathroom, bedroom or even for the one near the couch in my living room.

The first way to excise my brainpower and get away from the village tax is easy. GO outside the village limits, for example, one little car ride to the Walmart in Forest Park, IL and I got a store with almost equal selection of goods and most likely better prices. To top it off the plastic bags at Walmart are … free! No taxes!!! Take that Oak Park, IL but that is probably something everyone knows. The second way is only good if you are buying fruits and/or vegetables, because the produce sections is littered with free plastic bags. You know the ones you use to bag your fruits and/or vegetables?

Well just take a couple extra bags and double bag your produce items so that once you are done paying for your groceries in line, you can bag your other items ether in the same bag as the produce or separate. And the best thing about it is no taxes!! Take that Oak Park, IL!

Sarah and I were at the CVS Pharmacy on Roosevelt and we were coming to the front of the store. There was this Caucasian couple walking in front of us and I was sure they did not see us. When they got to the counter before us a voice rang out “I will be right with you” Mind you the CVS worker was straightening up the store when we came and looked like she was there for a while.

BUT the couple looked back at Sarah and the gentleman said “Okay!” until it seemed like he realized we were together and also did not dress like we worked at CVS! The woman also turned around and nodding her head in an affirmative action to Sarah as if she was the one who spoke. Sarah and the CVS worker were of course Black. When the couple both realized they made a weird, unnerving mistake they did their best to engage the cashier and not look back at us. Besides some weird uneasy glances.

The funny thing was, I noticed it, not Sarah because she was in her words: “in my own world” until I told her what had happened and that’ when she stated “I wondered why they were being so wired and nice to the cashier!” When you are a minority this stuff happens and when you are a minority however do not look like the perceived minority group this shit awakes the senses.

It is kind of crazy as they say this stuff as unconscious racism still happens in 2019, but is it really? I am not surprised this happened in Oak Park, IL where they residents state they are not racist, but unconsciously they react as such. Or their blunt privileged ass actions align themselves as “holier than thou” and believe themselves superior or of some type of entitlement that is the gateway to unconscious or even blatant racism. What did not surprise either of us was that this happened in Oak Park, IL

I woke up on Sunday to do the wash and to get out the apartment since it was warmer, I went out to mingle with humanity. And good Lord I use humanity lightly I try not to judge but honestly if you cannot handle the night before then hang it up. I literally smelled people, alcohol and ass through their winter wear (coat, hat, etc.) So it helped with my diet because I did not eat.

The smells turned my stomach sour, and I honestly could not go on, thinking about, touching or eating food.It was not a pride thing it was more of a sanitary issue, especially with the flu season being strong this year I did not want to risk getting nauseated from the smells then getting sick because of my immune system taking a major hit. I just do not understand how people have made looking and being unshowered and unclean fashionable.

I mean to the point it does not look like showering was considered important in the morning, but the morning latte at Starbucks was. Hey I wash my privates! I worry about being funky before I leave the house everyday even If I do not leave, a shower takes place.I mean this is Oak Park, IL so how things are perceived are of the utmost importance therefore the reason I am smelling stank through winter clothes is disturbing.

Is there no civil pride? Maybe it is an environmental thing where people try to use as less water, soap, deodorant or toothpaste as possible? I heard about that before it was a hippie thing in the 60s or 70s like that, but I am not sure why it is coming back now. But please people of Oak Park, IL please stop the madness, and take a shower before you interact with the rest of us. Please.

The 10-cent plastic bag tax went into effect I feel like this is just like the soda pop tax where local stores will lose business to other areas just because people will shop elsewhere due to the principal of the thing. I don’t blame them I mean I try my damnest not to buy plastic bags in Chicago. Score one for the environmentalists but score a vote for anyone running against the incumbent in office. Although there may not be a lot of change there will be an intelligent smart few who will remember this shit when at the polls.

And so, it should be in Oak Park, IL where the community already focuses on the recycling of most the items that go to waste. Charging 10 cents a bag is just a way to have people have disdain for the village, and it basically looks like a money grab by the village board. Stupid taxes just look like overreach and/or too much “big” government for everyone. If you were not responsible enough to recycle plastic bags in the first place would this force your hand? Not likely

Instead you will like most of us buy less, only the shit you can carry or like I said before going elsewhere like Forest Park to buy your items so you don’t have to put up with this stupidity. My family recycles a lot ever since we got those little blue bins however those neighbors that did not recycle did not immediately start recycling or even tried to recycle when they received theirs. In other words, taking plastic bags away from these individuals will not make them recycle more but maybe just the opposite.

Instead it may harden their resolve and as I aforementioned go to Forest Park to buy their items and stock up on as many plastic bags that they can. Making the situation and environment worse, or it may turn them off to recycling 100% which is the exact opposite goal or purpose of the plastic bag tax, only time will tell.

So as we all know now, that the plastic bag 10 cents fee went into effect in all of Oak Park, IL. I just ran into Jewel on Roosevelt near Harlem and there was this poor jewel worker cornered by two senior citizens complaining that there were no notices regarding the tax or signs telling them about the tax. Like it was the fault of the Jewel organization that they were not informed about the tax.

First that is their old ass problem bitching about all they saw on the news was “fires in Brooklyn” well it WAS announced on the news they just did not pay attention to it. Second the elected officials not Jewel are responsible for the tax. Therefore, if you voted for them and they played “sneaky sneaky snake” by using stealth by pushing this new law through that again is your fault. It is up to the citizens to hold officials accountable and make sure they are transparent at all times so that they know that their interests are being watched after and tended too.

Instead of just blindly following those elected officials and voting on their “faith” on what those officials say. In other words, do not bitch to the workers of your local stores because they most likely do not even live in Oak Park, IL and second what the hell are they going to do about It? Use their magic wand to override the local laws for your dumb ass 10 cents?

Next time how about you do some research before you go to the polls, or raise hell to your officials when they do stupid shit. Before you waste everyone’s, time blocking the store exit bitching about your ignorance. Or better yet use your wallet as your voice and shop elsewhere and give the rest of us some peace.

Whoa so I was running around from get together to get together and it is bad enough I have to travel through Forest Park, IL to get back to Oak Park, IL but now there are extras to make the traffic issues even worse in which suburbs like that aforementioned busy enough but these two added aspects just make it stupid. Traffic issues there are never really addressed but somehow the local governments like to add to the misery of all those who travel in their suburban streets. And somehow the residents of these suburbs just remain silent as unwarranted changes occur all around them. It seems everyone just grumbles about it however when the opportunities to cause change, such as when election season comes about they vote the same way they did before. And in turn giving those idiots in charge a blank check or an arousing “yes” to doing something even more stupid, one wonders when will change occur and what will be enough?

First, of all there is the construction on Roosevelt Avenue from Harlem avenue to Des Plaines Ave, everything is whittled down to a single lane for a while grinding the traffic down to a crawl. All I can really see the construction crews are doing is redoing the sidewalks on each side with new concrete and red decorative bricks. All this bullshit for something that does not help the traffic issues that plague this street.

Roosevelt and Harlem Avenues, of course, are boundary streets of Oak Park, IL and further, the angry drivers feel as they enter the suburb. As if the small parks with parents who let their toddlers slowly walk across the small narrow side streets isn’t enough now you have drivers who have been pissed off even more to this craziness on the suburban borders. I think that these two suburbs should be more concerned about the traffic issues and finding ways to encouraging people to patron the small businesses in this area. However, all this construction does the opposite.

Second, even though it is the Labor Day weekend, there are a lot of cops in this area particularly, the Forest Park, IL cops who cannot wait to give tickets …just because they are bored. Their added presence is supposed to bring “law and order” which is just code for legal disruption of citizens’ daily activities as they travel from point A to point B. Now everyone knows once normal people see the police all of the sudden people want to do under the speed limit and drive like grandmas.

Which sounds great but at the same time is just as bad as the construction on Roosevelt avenue, and can make your trip three times as long due the presence of law enforcement. As I rolled into the Walmart in Forest Park, IL I did notice that once the cops disappeared on a side street from Roosevelt Avenue that traffic started moving a little bit more smoothly. Instead of directing traffic to overcome the issues of the construction the Forest Park, IL police are always adding to the problem, that is if they are not window shopping in Bed Bath and Beyond.

When you go through Forest Park to get or from Oak Park, IL you enter another type of bland hell. Besides the McDonald’s that is excellent there, Smokin Ms and what was once Defiant comics. There are no real stops, awesome places to hang out in Forest Park (like Oak Park, IL), unless you like cemeteries. There is a fun fact about one of the cemeteries there but that’s for Halloween.

Anyway, I simply drive thru this little shit hole, I lived there for about a year and a half or so I know what I am talking about. You could probably transport dead hookers on the roof of your car at night and you wouldn’t bump into anyone. The town is very quiet, as in dead. Only the cops there are active since they have very little to do. Therefore, you have cops stationing cars at the 7-eleven at Roosevelt Avenue and Des Plaines Avenue and the bank on Roosevelt Avenue and Circle Avenue.

Then you have them just riding around making cop traps waiting for people to do a California roll through stop signs or drivers doing 2mph over the speed limit. Mind you it is not that big a town. The town of forest park is just that, a bunch of bored cops, no engaging nightlife, and another town with nothing cool to do. In one word: Boring. (Did I mention a robust elderly population?) Oh, it also has the CTA Blue Line stop and a ghetto ass Walmart if that’s your idea of fun or excitement, then cool Forest Park is for you. But for me, I will wait about another 50 years.